Lebanon and Syria's living and economic crises are similar, as the dollar price reached a new record in Beirut of 47,000 LBP on Monday evening. Simultaneously, the dollar reached 6800 SYP in Damascus.
Over the past two weeks, the dollar in Syria has jumped from 4,500 to 6,800 SYP, plunging Syrians into a deepening crisis, part of which is being resolved by primitive smuggling routes.
The Syrian government has been delivering subsidized gasoline to a wide range of Syrian people, including taxi owners, by 25 liters per week.
"That was enough for the taxi owner to meet 50 percent of his gasoline needs," a Syrian public car driver said to Al-Modon.
He also pointed out that the government cannot do so today, only providing 25 liters per month.
This prompts owners of taxis and other Syrians to buy gasoline from the black market, the majority of which from the Lebanese market; this has led to a crazy hike in transportation prices.
He pointed out that in the Syrian black market, the price of 10 liters of petrol, between 120,000 and 150,000 Syrian Liras, is equivalent to between $17.5 and $22. Thus, the cost of the gasoline can is up to $44.
That's the price in Syria; in Lebanon, a gasoline can costs approximately $16. This makes smuggling a very profitable business, mainly if it is transported primitively, in small quantities that do not entail additional costs. It is happening today under the sight of Lebanese and Syrian authorities.
Between the Lebanese al-Masnaa Border crossing and the Syrian border, Lebanese cars are deployed on both sides of the roads selling gasoline gallons containing 10 liters, sold to Syrian and Lebanese people at a price ranging between $12 and $15, thus a profit of up to $7 per gallon.
According to Al-Modon, traders move by car between the border more than once during the day. A simple inspection of the Lebanese side could detect their area of smuggling action.
Gasoline and diesel gallons are also sold on the Syrian airport road, near security checkpoints set up by the Syrian security services. The new additions to the market are gas canisters.
According to Al-Modon, these gas canisters are also packaged in Lebanon, transported to Syria by the same means, also sold in dollars or Syrian pounds based on the black-market exchange rate, with profits at times as high as 50 percent, and the price changes as the gas price in Lebanon varies.
These operations and the illegal smuggling of dollars caused Lebanon's exchange rate to increase rapidly.